Two Wodonga men face sentencing after allegedly bashing 14-year-old

Two Wodonga men charged over the alleged bashing of a young boy that caused life-threatening injuries will face court for sentencing.

Wodonga man Dylan Meyers was charged over the alleged assault of a 14-year-old boy, alongside co-accused Dyllan Robetson, in 2021.

Two Wodonga men are facing sentencing over the alleged assault of a 14-year-old boy which caused ruptured organs and life-threatening injuries, a court has heard.

Dylan Meyers and Dyllan Robertson were arrested in July 2021, after the alleged assault of the young boy in a Wodonga alley after an attempted drug deal.

The County Court heard that Robertson, who was 19 at the time, was contacted by the victim asking to buy $10 worth of cannabis on July 17, and the two organised to meet at St Monica’s Primary School in Wodonga.

When the two met, the victim gave Robertson the cash and then waited for him to return with the cannabis.

After exchanging further messages, the victim told Robertson to meet him in an alley way at Willow Park in Wodonga, and Robertson met him accompanied by Meyers, who was 20 years old at the time.

The two men then allegedly attacked the young boy in the alley way, as Meyers punched him several times in the face while Robertson stole his bag.

It is alleged that Meyers and Robertson continued to assault the victim as he tried to escape, as Robertson punched him in the head and Meyers kneed him several times in the stomach.

According to the victim, the two men were laughing and talking as they allegedly attacked him.

The men allegedly forced the victim to hand over all of his belongings and clothing, including his phone, before he was able to escape wearing only his underwear and seek help from a nearby home.

The victim recalled he could feel sharp pain in his stomach area and was doubled over, struggling to breathe after the attack.

He was taken to hospital, where doctors found he had lost two litres of blood through internal bleeding in his abdomen and suffered a ruptured spleen from blunt trauma.

As a result of the injury, the victim remains at risk of developing a life-threatening infection and is required to take medication for the rest of his life.

Four days later, Meyers also stole a Subaru station wagon in Beechworth which was later found by police in Albury, where he was arrested and remanded in custody.

Meyers was charged with causing serious injury recklessly, robbery and theft, while Robertson was charged with robbery, common assault, trafficking in a drug of dependence, handling stolen goods.

Crown prosecutor Mr Moore alleged it was the kicks to the victim’s stomach from Meyers that caused the serious injury.

The court heard that the victim and his family had declined to make a victim impact statement, but the young boy was still seriously impacted by the injuries caused in the assault.

Meyers has already spent 463 days in custody and the offending pair are set to face sentencing next month.

Defence for Meyers James Mortley said imprisonment had been “harder” for him due to intellectual difficulties caused by a troubled past and struggles with self-harm.

“He had a very traumatic and fractured upbringing, with family violence and physical violence,” Mr Mortley said.

“He was expelled from five schools by the time he was in year five and did not go back to school after year five.

“He began running away from home at the age of 12 and was placed in residential care at the age of 16.”

The court heard Meyers had been placed in a protective unit due to multiple instances of self-harm while in prison.

His lawyer reported that he’d recently received a letter from the mother of his two-year-old daughter, who said she was willing to allow him to be present in the child’s life.

Meyers’ plea hearing will continue on January 25.